Buckle



A. J. GORE Nov. 18, I947.

BUCKLE File d Oct. 11, 1945 iii Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to buckles and more particularly of that type comprising a buckle attached at one end to a strap such as a belt and having at its opposite end a clamping device adapted to coact with a fabric or cloth such, for example, as the top'of a stocking, and is preferably made of a continuous strip of wire, plastic or the like, bent back upon itself as may be necessary to form a unitary article.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a buckle of the above general character which will, for convenience, hereinafter be illustrated and described with relation to a single piece of wire forming the complete buckle and attached at one end to a garter strap and its other end being shown asengaging the top of a stocking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical buckle which will grip the stocking at spaced intervals so as to securely hold the same over a relatively large area, thereby preventing runs and tearing of the stocking.

A- further object is to provide a buckle of the above character which will be reliable and enicient in use and. operation and dependable in that it will not release the fabric until manipulated with that intention.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part hereinafter indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts, and in the unique relation of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art fully to comprehend the underlying features of this invention, that they may embody the same by the modification in structure and relation contemplated by the invention, drawings depicting the preferred embodiments of the invention form a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing one of the various possible embodiments of the clamp, showing it attached below the upper edge of a garment;

Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the clamp itself; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail and more particularly to Fig. 1, the buckle is illustrated as suspended from a girdle or the like by means of the garter strap 5 and engaging the top portion 6 of a stocking. The buckle is made from a continuous piece of wire of the proper resiliency and flexibility to permit its easily being manipulated without distortion. This wire starts with an eye I at one end adapted to embrace a portion of the buckle, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and then transversely across the top of the buckle at 8 and down through a second eye 9 formed by the other end of the wire. As the wire continues it provides a gripping portion which is almost at right angles and might be called a shoulder having an outward extension or arm II! at one side upon which the fabric tends to hang, then across the bottom of the buckle at II to the other arm I2 at the opposite side of the buckle. This then bends backwardly towards the center as at I3 to form ashoulder, thence up through the eye 1 across the top as at It, down through the eye 9 to form a straight side I5, across the bottom as at I6, and up the opposite side I1, through the eye I, across there near the top at I8, terminating in the opposite eye 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that there is a certain amount of play or resiliency between the parts 8 and I4 to accommodate the straps or loops 5 extending downwardly from the girdle.

The sides of the eyes I and 9 permit a certain amount of lateral play and a portion of the clamp formed by the parts I0, II and I2 are free to move laterally, as indicated by the dotted lines, and thus the anchor may be moved through the rectangular portion of the buckle formed by the parts I5, I6 and Il, or pass from one side to the other and bear up against the vertical members I5 and I! of the base. Thus the anchoring part formed by the portions II], II and I3, if desired, may be slightly curved to more easily fit the curvature of the part of the person adjacent thereto and may move relatively to the plane of the other or base portion of the buckle formed by the parts I5, I6 and I1, and if the top of the stocking or other fabric is slipped between these respective groups and then the anchoring part manipulated laterally, as indicated in Fig. 2 by dotted lines, that portion of the buckle may be easily transferred, with a coacting portion of the fabric to the opposite side of the base parts I5, I6 and I1 carrying the fabric with it and the natural resiliency of the material is such as to cause the arms I0 and I2 particularly to bear against the vertical'portions I5 and I! especially and cause the fabric to be gripped therebetween at spaced intervals, such as It! and I2, and firmly prevented from slipping out between the base and the anchoring portion. The resiliency of the material causes the two main ortions of the buckle to return to the position shown in full lines, particularly as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to release the stocking, the anchoring portion is moved laterally, as indicated by the dotted lines, whereupon the anchor may be moved through the base and the fabric slid off from the anchor formed particularly by the parts I and I2 and entirely release the clamping action.

As previously explained, the buckle as herein shown and described is made of resilient wire, but it has been found by experience that a length of plastic material of perhaps more or less rectangular cross section and bent in the same manner will perform the function equally satisfactorily, and furthermore such plastic material may be slightly bent, if desired, when submerged in hot water for a moment to be restored to its original shape, if such should be necessary. Likewise, by using plastic material, different colors may be employed in the manufacture of the buckle as seems preferable.

The construction is fully described above as applied to a garment fastener and its method of use and operation as applied to other purposes for which, it is adapted will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated adequately to fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variations, modifications and changes within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A buckle consisting of a continuous length of resilient wire-like material presenting two adjacent elongated loops, free at one end to engage opposite sides of fiat fabric-like material and connected at the opposite end by eyes formed at the ends of said wire-like material encircling intermediate portions of said loops, one of said loops being shorter and narrower at the sides and wider at the free end than the other, and said connection permitting limited lateral movement of the free ends of said loops while normally retaining them in position for engaging and holding fabric-like material between them, whereby by successive lateral movements of the free end of the shorter loop first to one side and then to the other side of the lengthwise axis of the buckle said shorter loop and a portion of the fabric-like material engaged thereby may be passed through the longer loop and securely held by said loops against withdrawal lengthwise thereof.

2. A fastener for securing flexible sheet material, said fastener consisting of a continuous length of wire formed in two parallel substantially rectangular loops and provided with eyes at its ends, each eye encircling two strands of said loops at contiguous corners, the free portion of one of said loops having laterally extending arms whose overall length is greater than the width of the other loop and the intermediate portion of less width than the other loop, whereby portions of said material may be engaged between said loops, and pinched by said arms of one loop under the sides of the other loop, substantially as shown and described.

3. A fastener of the one-piece type for securing flexible sheet material, said fastener consisting of a continuous length of wire formed in two parallel generally rectangular loops and provided with eyes at its ends, each eye encircling two contiguous strands of said loops at adjacent corners to hold them together and form a semi-rigid frame for maintaining alinement of the operating parts, the free portions of said loops being adapted to engage opposite faces of the material to be secured, and one of said loops having narrow shoulders and outstanding arms adapted to pinch portions of said material beneath the sides of the other loop, substantially as shown and described.

ALBERT J. GORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

France a- May 18, 1929 

